ARRL Letter

***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 25, No. 05
February 3, 2006
***************
IN THIS EDITION:
* +SuitSat-1 is in orbit!
* +League members in New York urged to protest state grant for BPL pilot
* +Two hams will be next ISS inhabitants
* +ARRL asks FCC to deny Part 15 rule waiver
* +Mississippi, Vermont considering ham radio antenna bills
* +League invites nominations for 2005 technical awards
* Solar Update
* IN BRIEF:
This weekend on the radio: The North American Sprint (SSB)!
ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration
+ARRL Contest Advisory Committee releases white paper
Injured miner Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, moved to rehab facility
+Scarborough Reef tops The DX Magazine's 2005 "Most Wanted" list
AMSAT Space Symposium set for October
DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit
+Available on ARRL Audio News <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/>
===========================================================
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
===========================================================
==>"SUITSAT-1" LAUNCHED FROM ISS
"SuitSat-1" is orbiting Earth! ISS Expedition 13 flight engineer Valery
Tokarev released the unique and enthusiastically anticipated satellite into
orbit February 3 at 2303 UTC as he and ISS Expedition 12 Commander Bill
McArthur, KC5ACR, began a six-hour space walk. SuitSat-1 consists of a
discarded Russian Orlan spacesuit reconfigured to function as a
free-floating Amateur Radio transmit-only satellite. Activated at 2259 UTC,
the satellite was programmed to come to life some 16 minutes later on 145.99
MHz. The 16-minute delay is said to be a crew safety measure. SuitSat-1's
deployment over the south-central Pacific Ocean was the first task of the
space walk.
"Dosvidanya! Good-bye, Mr Smith!" Tokarev said in Russian as SuitSat,
unhooked from its tether and pushed away from the space station, tumbled
slowly away into the void. "It's moving at the specified acceleration." A
project of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
program <http://www.rac.ca/ariss>, SuitSat drifted off until it appeared as
a mere speck silhouetted against brightly illuminated Earth below.
The NASA trajectory operations officer at Mission Control called it "a good
deploy within the cone for safety to ensure no re-contact with the
International Space Station." NASA-TV provided live coverage of the space
walk and SuitSat-1's release.
The Amateur Radio community, students, scanner enthusiasts, space fans and
others have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the most novel satellite
ever to orbit Earth. SuitSat-1 will transmit its voice message "This is
SuitSat-1 RS0RS!" in several languages plus telemetry and an SSTV image on
an eight-minute cycle as it orbits Earth. The three batteries powering the
satellite are expected to last about a week, and SuitSat-1 should re-enter
Earth's atmosphere after several weeks of circling the globe.
SuitSat-1's 500 mW transmitter will report mission time, suit temperature
and battery voltage (28 V is nominal) down to Earth. Its single Robot
36-format SSTV image is said to be similar in resolution to a cell-phone
quality picture. SuitSat-1's signal should be strong enough to hear using a
VHF transceiver or scanner and a simple antenna. Its payload also includes a
CD containing hundreds of school pictures, artwork, poems and student
signatures. JH3XCU/1 in Japan posted the first reception reports, noting a
weak signal.
Those who copy the SuitSat-1 transmissions on 145.99 MHz are asked to post a
real-time report on the SuitSat Web site <http://www.suitsat.org/>, which
contains additional informational links. Initially, its orbit will
approximately coincide with that of the ISS. Later, as SuitSat-1's orbit
begins to decay, it may show up a few minutes earlier than the space
station. The AMSAT Web site offers a listing of ISS passes
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/> and a graph showing the
position of the ISS
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/satloc.php?lang=en&satellite=I
SS>. ARISS invites schools and other educational groups--formal or
otherwise--to post educational outreach reports and SSTV images via e-mail
<suitsat@comcast.net&gt;
ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, credits ARISS-Russia's
Sergei Samburov, RV3DR, and his colleagues with coming up with the
spacesuit-cum-satellite concept. SuitSat-1--called Radioskaf or Radio
Sputnik in Russian--is a first test of that idea, he says. If successful,
there's another unneeded Orlan spacesuit still aboard the ISS.
For a SuitSat-1 QSL, send signal reports accompanied by a large (9x12 inch)
self-addressed, stamped envelope to the appropriate address:
* USA: ARRL, SuitSat QSL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111-1494 USA
* Canada: Radio Amateurs of Canada, SuitSat QSL, 720 Belfast Rd--Suite
217, Ottawa, ON K1G 0Z5 Canada
* Europe: F1MOJ - Mr CANDEBAT Christophe, SuitSat Europe QSL Manager, 7
Rue Roger Bernard, 30470 AIMARGUES FRANCE
* Japan: SuitSat Japan QSL, JARL International Section, Tokyo 170-8073
JAPAN
* Russia: Alexander Davydov, RN3DK Novo-Mytishchinsky prospekt 52-111
Mytishchi 18, Moskovskaya obl. 141018, RUSSIA
* Other countries: Use the US or Canadian address above.
Students will receive a certificate commemorating their reception. Those who
receive the SSTV picture or copy the "special words" will get a special
endorsement on their certificate. The special words--in English, French,
German, Spanish, Russian and Japanese--are embedded in the pre-recorded
greetings in multiple languages from students around the globe.
SuitSat-1 has piqued the imagination of the news media over the past couple
of weeks. In addition to articles in The New York Times, the Houston
Chronicle and Associated Press, National Public Radio, Fox News, CNN, the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, MSNBC and others also produced broadcast
or cable news reports. A magazine article is set to appear in Aviation Week
and Space Technology.
Additional information about SuitSat on the AMSAT Web site
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/SuitSat/>. See "This is SuitSat-1
RS0RS!" by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/BauerSuitsat/index.php>.
ARISS is an international educational outreach with US participation from
ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.
==>LEAGUE URGES NEW YORK MEMBERS TO PROTEST STATE GRANT TO TROUBLESOME BPL
TRIAL
ARRL Directors Frank Fallon, N2FF, of the Hudson Division and Bill Edgar,
N3LLR, of the Atlantic Division have called on the League's New York
membership to protest a state grant to help fund a problematic BPL pilot
project. ARRL learned this week that the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority (NYSERDA) has contracted with electric utility
Consolidated Edison (ConEd) and BPL manufacturer Ambient to provide up to
$200,000 in funding for a BPL pilot in the Westchester County community of
Briarcliff Manor.
"If you share our dismay that NYSERDA's funds are being used to support a
known source of radio spectrum pollution, write to Gov Pataki and NYSERDA
President Peter Smith to demand that the State of New York use its influence
to ensure that the Briarcliff Manor BPL project is either brought into
compliance with the FCC rules immediately or shut down," Fallon and Edgar
said in a joint statement to New York ARRL members.
The Briarcliff Manor project has been the subject of a string of complaints
to the FCC, including several requests from the ARRL--the last filed just
last month--to shut down the project until it complies with FCC rules.
Fallon and Edgar called on ARRL members in the Empire State to write Gov
George E. Pataki, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224 and Peter R. Smith,
President, NYSERDA, 17 Columbia Circle, Albany, NY 12203-6399. Pataki is a
former Amateur Radio licensee, K2ZCZ (since reissued).
ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, points out that the League's concerns regarding
the public grant have been on record with NYSERDA since June 2004, when
Ambient prematurely announced a funding grant. Sumner said John Love, the
NYSERDA project manager for the BPL grant, this week confirmed that a
contract had been signed.
"I shared with him our disappointment at Ambient's involvement, given their
miserable track record in Briarcliff Manor," Sumner said. In his
conversation with Love, Sumner said he explained that Ambient was violating
FCC rules in Briarcliff Manor by exceeding Part 15 emission limits, causing
harmful interference in the amateur bands and failing to post required
information in the public BPL system database.
Love "clearly didn't know much about the interference issue," Sumner said,
adding that the official indicated NYSERDA's interest in BPL was as a means
to improve the quality of electric power delivery. "However, he said the
contract requires the parties to monitor and report on interference and its
mitigation," Sumner noted. "I offered ARRL's technical resources to educate
him."
On January 5, citing FCC inaction in response to previous complaints, the
ARRL renewed its complaint to the Commission about the Ambient Corporation
BPL project in Briarcliff Manor. The BPL system uses power lines owned and
operated by ConEd under a Part 5 Experimental FCC authorization. The League
requested that the FCC instruct the BPL facility's operators to shut it down
immediately and not resume operation until it can demonstrate full
compliance with all applicable FCC rules.
==>NASA, INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TAP TWO HAMS AS NEXT SPACE STATION CREW
NASA and its International Space Station partners have announced that
astronaut Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, and cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, will
be the ISS Expedition 13 crew. They'll arrive aboard the orbiting outpost in
early April to relieve the current crew of ISS Commander Bill McArthur,
KC5ACR, and Valery Tokarev. Vinogradov will be the Expedition 13 commander,
while Williams, a US Army colonel who's logged one space flight, will serve
as ISS flight engineer and NASA ISS science officer.
Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes will join Williams and Vinogradov aboard
the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that will transport the new crew to the ISS.
Vinogradov and Williams will spend six months on the station, while Pontes
will spend eight days conducting research under a commercial agreement
between the Brazilian Space Agency and the Russian Federal Space Agency.
Brazilian telecommunications authorities have granted Pontes the call sign
PY0AEB for use on his space journey, and there are plans for him to do
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school group
contacts during his mission. He will return to Earth in April with McArthur
and Tokarev, who have been in orbit since last October.
Scheduled to fly on the next NASA space shuttle mission is German astronaut
Thomas Reiter, DF4TR. If NASA clears the shuttle for flight by June, Reiter
would join Williams and Vinogradov aboard the ISS for the remainder of
Expedition 13. It's considered likely that Reiter, who had been scheduled to
be aboard the ISS for Expedition 12, will be active on Amateur Radio.
Williams flew aboard the shuttle Atlantis in May 2000 on a 10-day space
station assembly mission. During that mission, he performed a spacewalk
lasting almost seven hours.
Vinogradov, a veteran of one long-duration spaceflight, flew aboard a Soyuz
spacecraft to the Russian Mir space station as flight engineer for the 24th
resident crew in 1997. During the 198-day mission he performed five
spacewalks.
ISS veteran Mike Fincke, KB5UAC, and Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin,
RN3FI, have been designated as the Expedition 13 back-up crew.
==>LEAGUE CALLS ON FCC TO DENY PART 15 RULE WAIVER REQUEST FOR 902-928 MHZ
Expressing concerns about interference potential and increased noise levels,
the ARRL this week asked the FCC to deny an industry request to waive three
sections of its Part 15 rules. Octatron Inc and Chang Industry Inc sought
the waivers last November to accommodate unlicensed analog video and audio
surveillance products they're developing that would operate in the 902-928
MHz band--an Amateur Radio allocation. The FCC opened the proceeding, ET
Docket 05-356, for comments in late December.
"The manufacturer here has made a choice as to how to engineer its product,"
the League said in comments filed January 30. "It now seeks to avoid a
series of rules specifically intended to limit interference potential of
analog devices in a band allocated to various licensed radio services simply
because it deliberately engineered the device in a particular manner."
The decision by Octatron and Chang Industry to employ analog, rather than
digital, emissions at 1 W is at the heart of the waiver request. Section
15.247(b)(3) permits a 1 W power level for digital and spread-spectrum
devices, but not for analog. The companies say they need 1 W to ensure
reliable transmission. Digital devices still must meet the Part 15 power
spectral density limitation, the League pointed out.
"Neither can either device meet the power spectral density requirement of
Section 15.247(e), applicable to digital intentional radiators which engage
in continuous transmissions," the League contended. "Finally, the devices
cannot meet the specifications for high-power, point-to-point operation in
certain bands using highly directional antennas set forth in Section 15.249
of the Commission's rules."
The League took issue with the manufacturers' unsupported assertion that the
surveillance systems "will not create significant interference."
"Since the petitioners have apparently failed to determine, much less
explain, the interference potential of their devices, it cannot be
determined whether or not the underlying purposes of the rules limiting
power and power spectral density for analog and digital devices in the
902-928 MHz band would be frustrated by a grant of the proposed waiver in
this case," the League continued. "A waiver cannot be granted without such a
finding."
The ARRL argued that given their potential to interfere with licensed
services in the 902 to 928 MHz band, they should instead be operated in a
Public Safety allocation, such as 2450 to 2483.5 MHz, and on a licensed
basis.
"The precise purpose of the rules sought to be waived here was to preclude
interference before it arises," the League said. "The purpose of this rule
would be directly frustrated by permitting, without rulemaking, high-power
analog devices that cannot meet the power spectral density limitation of
Section 15.247(e)."
The petitioners fail to show that the devices could not have been designed
to meet FCC rules, the League said, adding that it appears the lower cost of
manufacturing analog devices is apparently the reason why they're seeking
the waivers. "This is not a valid basis for a waiver grant," the ARRL said.
Granting "repeated waivers" for Part 15 analog devices that don't meet the
fundamental interference-avoidance requirement of the power spectral density
limit, the League concluded, "adds to the aggregate noise levels in the
subject bands and contributes to the already prevalent 'tragedy of the
commons' interference problems" in bands such as 902-928 MHz.
==>AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNA BILLS IN PLAY IN MISSISSIPPI, VERMONT
Legislation is under consideration in Mississippi and Vermont to incorporate
the essence of the limited federal preemption known as PRB-1
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/PRB-1_Pkg/prb-1.pdf> into the
statutes of those two states. Echoing the language of PRB-1, the measures
call on localities establishing ordinances regulating antenna placement,
screening or height to reasonably accommodate Amateur Radio communication
and impose the minimum practicable regulation to accomplish the
municipality's legitimate purposes. ARRL Mississippi Section Manager Malcolm
Keown, W5XX, reports similar bills were introduced this session in the House
and Senate. The Senate version has already passed and been sent on to the
House.
"Since 2001, Mississippi hams have been trying to get a bill through the
Mississippi Legislature to provide for 'reasonable accommodation for the
erection of antenna structures' by local zoning boards and to separate us
from the cellular telephone tower interests," Keown says. The Senate version
of the PRB-1 legislation, SB 2709, cleared the County Affairs and
Municipalities committees January 31, and it passed the full Senate February
1. The House version, HB 736, is on the House General Calendar for a vote
there by February 9.
"We now have two horses in this race," Keown said this week, urging
Mississippi ARRL members to urge their state senators and representatives to
support the measures. "Keep your fingers crossed!" Assuming one of the PRB-1
measures succeeds in the House, minor differences in wording would be worked
out in committee, Keown speculates. In past years, he says, a PRB-1 bill has
made it through one legislative chamber only to die in committee in the
other.
Both Mississippi PRB-1 bills leave it up to local governing authorities to
determine "the types of reasonable accommodation to be made and the minimum
practicable regulation necessary . . . within the parameters of the law."
The House version includes an additional sentence: "This legislation
supports the Amateur Radio Service in preparing for and providing emergency
communications for the State of Mississippi and local emergency management
agencies."
In Vermont, meanwhile, the House Government Operations Committee on February
2 heard public testimony on a PRB-1 bill introduced in the House, H.12.
Several Amateur Radio operators attended the session along with
representatives from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, which opposes
such legislation, and several public safety officials.
The proposed Vermont antenna bill not only calls for community regulators to
"reasonably accommodate" Amateur Radio communication, it includes a schedule
of minimum regulatory heights, below which localities could not impose
restrictions.
On lots smaller than one acre, municipalities could not restrict the overall
height of an Amateur Radio antenna and associated support structure to less
than 75 feet above ground level "nor restrict the number of support
structures."
On parcels of one acre or larger, the bill, as written, would prohibit
municipalities from restricting the height of an Amateur Radio antenna "to
less than that specified in 47 CFR ß97.15(a) nor restrict the number of
support structures." That section of the Amateur Service rules actually does
not specify a height, but it does require antenna structures more than 200
feet above ground to notify the Federal Aviation Administration and register
the structure with the FCC.
In historic or design control districts, the Vermont bill would permit
localities to restrict the height of antennas and associated support
structures to less than 75 feet but would not allow them to prohibit Amateur
Radio antennas and support structures altogether nor to limit their height
to less than that of the tallest permitted structure within such a district.
The measure would grandfather existing Amateur radio antennas and support
structures and provide for their repair or replacement "with comparable
components" without further permitting or review.
To date, 21 states have enacted Amateur Radio antenna bills that reflect the
PRB-1 limited federal preemption.
==>NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR 2005 ARRL TECHNICAL AWARDS
The League is accepting nominations from ARRL members and affiliated clubs
for its three technical awards for the year 2005. The deadline is March 31
to submit nominations for the ARRL Technical Service Award, the ARRL
Technical Innovation Award and the ARRL Microwave Development Award.
The ARRL Technical Service Award goes annually to a radio amateur whose
service to the amateur community and/or society at large is of the most
exemplary nature within the framework of Amateur Radio technical activities.
These include, but are not limited to:
* Leadership or participation in technically oriented organizational
affairs at the local or national level.
* Service as an ARRL technical volunteer.
* Service as a technical advisor to clubs sponsoring classes to obtain
or upgrade amateur licenses.
The Technical Service Award winner receives an engraved plaque. In addition,
the winner may request ARRL publications of a value of up to $100.
The ARRL Technical Innovation Award is presented each year to an Amateur
Radio licensee whose accomplishments and contributions are the most
exemplary nature within the framework of technical research, development and
application of new ideas and future systems. These include, but are not
limited to:
* Development of higher speed modems and improved protocols.
* Promotion of personal computers in Amateur Radio applications.
* Activities to increase efficient use of the amateur spectrum.
* Digital voice experimentation
The technical innovation award winner receives a cash award of $500 and an
engraved plaque.
The ARRL Microwave Development Award is given each year to an individual
radio amateur or group conducting research and activity and applying new and
refined uses in the amateur microwave bands. This includes adaptation of new
modes both in terrestrial formats and satellite techniques.
The Microwave Development Award winner receives an engraved plaque. In
addition, the winner may request ARRL publications of a value of up to $100.
Full information on these awards appears on the ARRL Technical Awards page
<http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/instructor/instructor/awards.html>.
Nominations should thoroughly document the nominee's record of technical
service and accomplishments. Include basic contact information for both you
and the nominee when making nominations for any of these technical awards.
Submit all supporting documentation or information along with a letter of
nomination that includes endorsements of ARRL affiliated clubs and League
officials.
Nomination forms for all three technical awards are available on the ARRL
Web site <http://www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/award/application.html>. Send
completed forms to ARRL Technical Awards, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.
Nominations must be received at ARRL Headquarters by March 31, 2006.
Supporting information must be received at ARRL Headquarters by April 15.
For more information, contact Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, <w3iz@arrl.org&gt; at ARRL
Headquarters.
==>SOLAR UPDATE
Propagation prognosticator Tad "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Cook, K7RA,
Seattle, Washington, reports: Solar activity is very low! Average daily
sunspot numbers for the week were down by more than 40 points to 9.1.
Average daily solar flux dropped nearly 11 points to 80.6. Geomagnetic
conditions, with the exception of January 26, were stable and quiet. On
January 26 the interplanetary magnetic field, which can shield Earth from
solar wind if it is pointing north, turned south, and the mid-latitudes
experienced some moderate geomagnetic activity, with the A index for the day
at 15. Polar regions saw a lot more activity, with the College A index in
Alaska going to 36.
The sun has been spotless since January 29, and daily readings of zero
sunspots could continue for another week. We will observe more and longer
periods such as this as we head toward the solar minimum, still expected
about to occur about a year from now. Geomagnetic conditions should remain
quiet and solar flux at around 77. It may not begin to rise again until
February 10.
Sunspot numbers for January 26 through February 1 were 24, 29, 11, 0, 0, 0
and 0, with a mean of 9.1. The 10.7 cm flux was 86.9, 83.5, 80, 79.5, 78.8,
77.6, and 77.6, with a mean of 80.6. Estimated planetary A indices were 29,
8, 6, 3, 1, 2 and 4, with a mean of 7.6. Estimated mid-latitude A indices
were 15, 7, 4, 1, 0, 1 and 3, with a mean of 4.4.
__________________________________
==>IN BRIEF:
* This weekend on the radio: The North American Sprint (SSB), the Vermont,
Delaware and Minnesota QSO parties, the YL-ISSB QSO Party, the 10-10
International Winter Contest (SSB), the YLRL YL-OM Contest (CW), the AGCW
Straight Key Party and the Mexico RTTY International Contest are the weekend
of February 4-5. JUST AHEAD: The ARCI Winter Fireside SSB Sprint is February
6, the ARS Spartan Sprint is February 7 and the KCJ Topband Contest is
February 9-10. The North American Sprint (CW), the YLRL YL-OM Contest (SSB),
the CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest, the Louisiana and New Hampshire QSO parties, the
SARL Field Day Contest, the Asia-Pacific Spring Sprint (CW), the Dutch PACC
Contest, the OMISS QSO Party 1500Z, the FISTS Winter Sprint, the British
Columbia QSO Challenge and the RSGB First 1.8 MHz Contest (CW) are the
weekend of February 11-12. The ARRL School Club Roundup runs from February
13 to February 17. See the ARRL Contest Branch page
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/> and the WA7BNM Contest Calendar
<http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/index.html> for more info.
* ARRL Certification and Continuing Education course registration:
Registration remains open through Sunday, February 5, for these ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) Program on-line courses:
Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Level 2 (EC-002), Amateur Radio
Emergency Communications Level 3 (EC-003), Antenna Modeling (EC-004),
VHF/UHF Beyond the Repeater (EC-008), Radio Frequency Propagation (EC-011)
and HF Digital Communications (EC-005). Classes begin Friday, February 17.
To learn more, visit the CCE page <http://www.arrl.org/cce> or contact the
CCE Department <cce@arrl.org&gt;.
* ARRL Contest Advisory Committee releases white paper: The ARRL Contest
Advisory Committee (CAC) has released a white paper, "HF Contesting--Good
Practices, Interpretations and Suggestions"
<http://www.arrl.org/contests/hf-faq.html>. The document, which discusses
common situations encountered during HF contesting, results from CAC work
that arose over the course of an informal committee meeting at Dayton
Hamvention. While not a comprehensive set of "Frequently Asked Questions"
(FAQ), the white paper does address many issues that periodically arise
related to HF contesting and even some that may apply to VHF/UHF contesting.
The white paper operates from an HF perspective, however, recognizing that
there are many differences between HF and VHF/UHF contest practices. ARRL
Contest Branch Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND, stresses that the white paper's
interpretations do not supersede the rules for any contest but are intended
to assist contesters by providing some interpretations and operating
suggestions based on CAC members' accumulated experience.
* Injured miner Randy McCloy, KC8VKZ, moved to rehab facility: Randy McCloy,
KC8VKZ, the sole survivor of the January 2 Upshur County, West Virginia,
coal mine tragedy, has been transferred from the hospital to a
rehabilitation center. McCloy, 26, was moved to HealthSouth Mountainview
Regional Rehabilitation Hospital in Morgantown on January 26. McCloy's
condition remains fair. He is no longer in a coma, although he remains
unable to speak, according to his physician, Dr Larry Roberts. McCloy's
fever has dropped and he has not needed kidney dialysis in the past few
days. The explosion at Sago Mine killed 12 other miners and left the mine
filled with deadly carbon monoxide. McCloy has been hospitalized for the
past three weeks at West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Well-wishers have been sending cards and QSLs to McCloy at PO Box 223,
Philippi, WV 26435. A fund has been set up to accept donations for McCloy's
benefit: The Randal McCloy Jr Fund, c/o Clear Mountain Bank, 1889 Earl Core
Rd, Morgantown, WV 26505.
* Scarborough Reef tops The DX Magazine's 2005 "Most Wanted" list:
Scarborough Reef (BS7H) has replaced North Korea (P5) as the most-wanted
DXCC entity, according to The DX Magazine's
<http://www.dxpub.com/dx_mag.html> 2005 survey of DXers. The Daily DX
<http://www.dailydx.com/> (and QST's "How's DX?") Editor Bernie McClenny,
W3UR, says several groups are working toward activating Scarborough Reef.
"The problem is not obtaining a license or transportation to the rocks," he
reported this week. "There must be serious diplomacy between China and the
Philippines in order for this one to be pulled off." The second most-wanted
is Lakshadweep (VU7). Swapping spots with Scarborough Reef at number three
is North Korea (P5), at four is Peter I (3Y/P), and at five is Yemen (7O).
The 3Y0X DXpedition to Peter I <http://www.peterone.com/>, expected to begin
as early as February 6, could move that entity down the list for this year's
survey. McClenny notes that the imminent 3Y0X operation, which received a
$7500 ARRL Colvin grant award, will be the most expensive DXpedition ever.
Rounding out the top 10 most-wanted DXCC entities on The DX Magazine's 2005
survey were: Navassa (KP1), Desecheo (KP5), South Sandwich (VP8/S), Glorioso
(FR/G) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (VU4). The Andamans, last activated
in late 2004 during the VU4RBI/VU4NRO DXpedition cut short by the South Asia
tsunami, are scheduled to be on the air again this April.
* AMSAT Space Symposium set for October: The 2006 AMSAT Space Symposium will
take place October 5-11 in the San Francisco Bay area (Crowne Plaza San
Francisco Mid-Peninsula Hotel in Foster City). Registration will open and a
first call for papers and presentations will be issued approximately April
1. This year's Symposium will include meetings of the AMSAT-NA Board of
Directors, the AMSAT general membership, the Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) international delegates, the
International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Satellite Advisors Committee and
the AMSAT international delegates. Additional information is available on
the AMSAT Web site <http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/>.
* DXCC Desk approves operation for DXCC credit: The ARRL DXCC Desk has
approved this operation for DXCC credit: YI9VCQ (Iraq), November 30, 2004
through November 5, 2005. For more information, visit the DXCC Web page
<http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/>. "DXCC Frequently Asked Questions" can
answer most questions about the DXCC program. ARRL DX bulletins are
available on the W1AW DX Bulletins page <http://www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/>.
===========================================================
The ARRL Letter is published Fridays, 50 times each year, by the American
Radio Relay League--The National Association For Amateur Radio--225 Main St,
Newington, CT 06111; tel 860-594-0200; fax 860-594-0259;
<http://www.arrl.org/>. Joel Harrison, W5ZN, President.
The ARRL Letter offers a weekly e-mail digest of essential news of interest
to active amateurs. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise,
and readable. Visit ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/> for the latest news,
updated as it happens. The ARRL Web site <http://www.arrl.org/> offers
access to news, informative features and columns. ARRL Audio News
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> is a weekly "ham radio newscast"
compiled from The ARRL Letter.
Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or
in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to
The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.
==>Delivery problems (ARRL member direct delivery only!):
letter-dlvy@arrl.org
==>Editorial questions or comments: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, n1rl@arrl.org
==>ARRL News on the Web: <http://www.arrl.org/>
==>ARRL Audio News: <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/> or call
860-594-0384
==>How to Get The ARRL Letter
The ARRL Letter is available to ARRL members free of charge directly from
ARRL HQ. To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your address for e-mail
delivery:
ARRL members first must register on the Members Only Web Site
<http://www.arrl.org/members/>. You'll have an opportunity during
registration to sign up for e-mail delivery of The ARRL Letter, W1AW
bulletins, and other material. To change these selections--including
delivery of The ARRL Letter--registered members should click on the "Member
Data Page" link (in the Members Only box). Click on "Modify membership
data," check or uncheck the appropriate boxes and/or change your e-mail
address if necessary. (Check "Temporarily disable all automatically sent
email" to temporarily stop all e-mail deliveries.) Then, click on "Submit
modification" to make selections effective. (NOTE: HQ staff members cannot
change your e-mail delivery address. You must do this yourself via the
Members Only Web Site.)
The ARRL Letter also is available to all, free of charge, from these
sources:
* ARRLWeb <http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/>. (NOTE: The ARRL Letter will be
posted each Friday when it is distributed via e-mail.)
* The QTH.net listserver, thanks to volunteers from the Boston Amateur Radio
Club: Visit Mailing Lists@QTH.Net
<http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/letter-list>. (NOTE: The ARRL
cannot assist subscribers who receive The ARRL Letter via this listserver.)

The ARRL Letter

The ARRL Letter offers a weekly summary of essential news of interest to active amateurs that is available in advance of publication in QST, our official journal. The ARRL Letter strives to be timely, accurate, concise and readable.

Much of the ARRL¬†Letter content is also available in audio form in ARRL¬†Audio News.

Material from The ARRL Letter may be republished or reproduced in whole or in part in any form without additional permission. Credit must be given to The ARRL Letter and The American Radio Relay League.

Back issues published since 2000 are available on this page. If you wish to subscribe via e-mail, simply log on to the ARRL Web site, click on Edit Your Profile at the top, then click on Edit Email Subscriptions. Check the box next to The ARRL email newsletter, the ARRL Letter and you will receive each weekly issue in HTML format. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Plain-Text

The ARRL E-Letter e-mail is also available in plain-text version:

Outlook Express

1. From the Inbox view, select the Tools menu and the Options selection.

2. Click the Read tab

3. Check the Read All Messages In Plain Text box.¬† When you open the e-mail, it will be in plain text without images. Other e-mail programs may be able to make a Mail Rule for e-mail received from the address memberlist@www.arrl.org so that the plain-text-only display is selected automatically.

Outlook 2007

Use the same procedure as for Outlook Express, although the global option is under "Tools/Trust Center/E-mail Security".

Use the "Message text garbled?" link in the drop-down menu at the upper right of the displayed message block. pine, alpine Set "prefer-plain-text" in your ~/.pinerc configuration file: feature-list=..., prefer-plain-text, ...